What do I need in a Waterblaster?

[swarfie]

Spend more, get better. I had a Ryobi I bought @ least 23 years ago. It had a bronze bodied pump and stainless valves. All these cheapass things you buy these days have plastic pump bodies and shit for valves. The good old Ryobi only stopped four months ago and back when it was new I was ridding EVERY weekend in the winter on my dirt bike (I marked out & ran trailrides for over 20 years) and used it to clean the bike and damn near everything including paths and the house. Just don't get too close to things like suspension linkages and wheelbearings or concrete as they take the sand out of it. Also applies for decks, they'll just wreck them.
More water delivery is what you need rather than big pressure. I think the new Nilfisk I bought has an output of 7.5 litres/min. and 1885 PSI and from memory the old one was 7 l/min. It's got a detergent dispenser which is brilliant for house washing/windows etc. So far it works well but then it's only new. I'd be happy if it lasts 1/2 as long as the old Ryobi....ya gets wot ya pay for.

[Banditbandit]

if on town supply then water consumption no issue. otherwise lowest are about 5L/min.
m0ar PSIs are better.
long pressure hose is a must. 5 meters is minimum, 8 is good, 25 is ideal.

karcher and alto both do deck-scrubby heads, Necessary on pine deck as standard fan or spinny woosh-woosh head will nib the fuck out of the tread. hardwoods not so bad but still better not raising the grain.

electric is fine if you can never envision yourself needing to waterblast shit aweh from electrickery or during a power cut.
brass fittings beat plastic.

spending more jewgolds gets you better shit. i wouldnt expect to pay less than an ounce for a waterblaster.

also, stihl aren't shit.

Yeah - I got a Stihl - paid just over $300. (Electric) Been water blasting the whole house - walls, eves, deck ...

It's been great. The nore you spend the higher the pressure - but it's a matter of working out how far away you need to hold the nozzle so that it cleans but does not damage anything.

It took flamin ages and even the little Karcher was ripping bits of grain out in places when I wasn't careful.

Yeah ... that can happen. Nozzle is to close to the surface.

[Gremlin]

Just be aware that blasting anything like driveways and decks can either rip out loose pieces, or leave a coarse finish that encourages growth afterwards.

Think we've had a Karcher for years, used intermittently.

[buggerit]

Spend more, get better. I had a Ryobi I bought @ least 23 years ago. It had a bronze bodied pump and stainless valves. All these cheapass things you buy these days have plastic pump bodies and shit for valves. The good old Ryobi only stopped four months ago and back when it was new I was ridding EVERY weekend in the winter on my dirt bike (I marked out & ran trailrides for over 20 years) and used it to clean the bike and damn near everything including paths and the house. Just don't get too close to things like suspension linkages and wheelbearings or concrete as they take the sand out of it. Also applies for decks, they'll just wreck them.
More water delivery is what you need rather than big pressure. I think the new Nilfisk I bought has an output of 7.5 litres/min. and 1885 PSI and from memory the old one was 7 l/min. It's got a detergent dispenser which is brilliant for house washing/windows etc. So far it works well but then it's only new. I'd be happy if it lasts 1/2 as long as the old Ryobi....ya gets wot ya pay for.

3000 psi ,but low volume for popping dents out of expansion chambers

[HenryDorsetCase]

more power = better

[Blackbird]

Rob,
I've had a Stihl RE108 for about 3 years. 1750 psi, 440 litres/hr max water use. Utterly bullet-proof but any Stihl shop can service it if required. Comes with a rotating ball head and a fan head. The rotating ball head will slightly roughen bare wood as others have said but unless the deck is in bad nick, the fan head is sufficient. Apart from exterior house cleaning, my main use is cleaning our 30 metre long steep concrete drive which gets bloody slippery in winter - does a fantastic job. The 108 has been replaced by the RE109 at a tad under $500. Expensive compared with some other brands but it will last forever.

[Swoop]

I have a karcher from many moons ago (guessing 20yrs?) and it is still functioning although it has had one repair and the switch is rooted.
One thing I'm baring in mind if it gets replaced, is the ability to draw from a watertank. Some blasters can't do this and it's bloody handy if you have a catchment tank to draw from.

[pete376403]

I picked up a Karcher K5 at the tip when someone else was going to dump it. New "cylinder block and head" assembly from the local Karcher shop (the guy said it was their biggest selling item) got it going like new. Easy to fit.

[Daffyd]

Bear in mind most bike manufacturers and a lot of service people tell you NOT to use water blasters on their bikes as they can blow oil seals etc.

Having said that, I have used them on my bikes but only on wheels, tyres, etc. and steered clear of seals.

[nzspokes]

Bear in mind most bike manufacturers and a lot of service people tell you NOT to use water blasters on their bikes as they can blow oil seals etc.

Having said that, I have used them on my bikes but only on wheels, tyres, etc. and steered clear of seals.

Its for house cleaning.

[Banditbandit]

Its for house cleaning.

Don't you have a wife for that?

[Daffyd]

Its for house cleaning.

Cleaning cars and bikes was mentioned.

[Mike.Gayner]

As someone who uses his waterblaster to clean his bike, I think you're have to be borderline retarded to "blow oil seals" with it. If you're focusing the stream on sealed bearings, oil seals and electronics you are probably not the kind of person who should be handling a waterblaster, or anything mechanical. It's perfectly safe to wash a bike with a waterblaster.

[flashg]

As someone who uses his waterblaster to clean his bike, I think you're have to be borderline retarded to "blow oil seals" with it. If you're focusing the stream on sealed bearings, oil seals and electronics you are probably not the kind of person who should be handling a waterblaster, or anything mechanical. It's perfectly safe to wash a bike with a waterblaster.

Exactly
I had water blasters for years and never had any problems.

[george formby]

Concur about cleaning decks with chemicals. Not as satisfying but more effective. I use a solution of sodium hypochlorite (ide?), $56 +gst for 20 ltrs, makes a lot of bleach, ammonia (oven cleaner like firedog, cheap) and a good soap which acts as a surficant. Makes it stick.

Ammonia and bleach are salts and do bugger all damage to plants if you hose off saturated areas. The ammonia cleans what the bleach can't and lingers to retard mould spores. Been cleaning the house and decks like this for years. Repels spiders and each clean up gets quicker and easier. On decks I spray it on and leave it then repeat a couple of days later and hose off. On the house I spray it on and hose off 10 minutes later. You can see it clean as fast as you can spray.

I will say that water blasters are not good for your bike chain and will quickly show which decal was not stuck on properly, otherwise very handy for getting clay off the bike, your boots and your riding gear. They will also show you which windows will leak in a cyclone should you quickly want to put a sparkle on the home stead glassware 20 minutes before the G/F gets home.